Collinsville football program gets approval to leave Southwestern Conference

Administrators from Southwestern Conference member schools have voted to grant Collinsville High its request to remove its football program from the league following the 2018 season.

“They will compete in football during the 2018 season but that will be it, but it’s for football only,” Schmidt said. “They will continue ... to compete as a member of the SWC in all other sports.”

The 2017 season has been difficult for the Kahoks, who in five games have been outscored 270-64. Collinsville has allowed at least 34 points in each game and was soundly defeated by Alton (70-19) and defending Class 7A state champion East St. Louis (80-7) in the last two weeks.

The Kahoks have struggled to compete for many, many years. Against the likes of East St. Louis and Edwardsville, and solid programs in Belleville West, Belleville East and O’Fallon, Collinsville has had just one winning season since 1999.

Collinsville finished 5-5 under coach Mike Liljegren in 2010, when it lost in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.

According to the Illinois High School Association record book, the Kahoks’ last winning season came in 1998, when they finished 8-2 under coach Tim Kane. They lost a first-round Class 5A playoff game.

Rumors have circulated this week that Kahoks coach Rick Reinhart was either fired or had resigned from the position. Collinsville District 10 Superintendent Dr. Robert Green said neither is true, stating that as of Thursday, Reinhart was still the coach.

Asked whether Reinhart will be on the sidelines when the Kahoks (0-5, 0-3) take the field at 7 p.m. Friday against visiting Granite City (2-3, 0-3), Green refused comment.

Granite City also will leave the SWC in all sports in 2018 and currently is seeking membership in the South Seven Conference.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Collinsville football program gets approval to leave Southwestern Conference."